Category: C4 ZR-1 Corvettes

The Art of the C4 ZR-1 LT-5 Corvette Engine

Published on by Scott

Dateline: 7.23.11
Corvette Engines as Art Objects


Too bad this wasn’t a 283 Fuelie!

Everything has a beginning, right. For me, it goes back to 1965 when my Dad bought me “The Visible V8” model kit. What a wonderful way for young boys to understand the basic operational principals of an internal combustion engine. If you carefully put the parts together and didn’t get glue in places you shouldn’t and wired everything right, your got to see the pistons go up and down, rocker arms actuate, the fan spin, the camshaft rotate, AND the red grain-of-wheat lightbulb spark plugs light up at top-dead-center. Of course, it sounded all “WHEEEEEE” Because the battery-opperated starter motor was driving everything. “Sorry kids! No VROOM! VROOM!”


LT-5 art prints available HERE.

But, it was a lot of fun and started my lifelong passion for engines. But engines didn’t become “art” for my until I got into drag racing and those wonderful supercharged hemi engines. And the first Corvette engine that wowed me was the 1967 L71 427/435 big-block. While 3-deuces Continue reading “The Art of the C4 ZR-1 LT-5 Corvette Engine” →

March 1 & 2, 1990: 1990 ZR-1 Corvette Shatters 50-Year Speed Record!!!

Published on by Scott

Dateline: 7.20.11
Try to imagine driving a loaded for bear, 1990 ZR-1 Corvette for 24-hours at an AVERAGE speed of 175.885-mph!

Racing Corvettes used to have a long history of durability issues. There are many accounts of Corvette racers setting track records and winning pole positions, only to have parts breakage put their cars out of the race. The success of the Showroom Stock and the Corvette Challenge cars proved that the new C4s had what it took to win long races. So it was only a matter of time before someone tested the new ZR-1 under racing conditions. Enter Morrison Motorsports.

On March 1 and 2, 1990, the Morrison Motorsports prepared ZR-1 Corvette shattered the 50-year old, 24-hour speed record with an astonishing average speed of 175.885-mph with a “near-stock” ZR-1 Corvette! The details of the ZR-1 speed machine are a genuine testimonial to the quality of the new ZR-1.

In 1940, David, “Ab” Jenkins set the 24-hour speed record with his “Mormon Meteor III” racer. The huge 5,000-pound machine was designed by Augie Duesenberg and used a 850-hp, 27.5-litre aircraft engine! In 1940 Ab nailed the record with an average 24-hour speed of 161.18-mph. The record stood for 50 years. Many attempted to break the record, and all failed… until the ZR-1 arrived. Continue reading “March 1 & 2, 1990: 1990 ZR-1 Corvette Shatters 50-Year Speed Record!!!” →